'The Fury Of Hating Eyes' by Anne Sexton


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The Death Notebooks1974I would like to buryall the hating eyesunder the sand somewhere offthe North Atlantic and suffocatethem with the awful sandand put all their colors to sleepin that soft smother.Take the brown eyes of my father,those gun shots, those mean muds.Bury them.Take the blue eyes of my mother,naked as the sea,waiting to pull you downwhere there is no air, no God.Bury them.Take the black eyes of my love,coal eyes like a cruel hog,wanting to whip you and laugh.Bury them.Take the hating eyes of martyrs,presidents, bus collectors,bank managers, soldiers.Bury them.Take my eyes, half blindand falling into the air.Bury them.Take your eyes.I come to the center,where a shark looks up at deathand thinks of my heartand squeeze it like a doughnut.They'd like to take my eyesand poke a hatpin throughtheir pupils. Not just to burybut to stab. As for your eyes,I fold up in front of themin a baby ball and you sendthem to the State Asylum.Look! Look! Both thosemice are watching youfrom behind the kind bars.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Fury Of Hating Eyes by Anne Sexton

Have you ever read a poem that leaves you breathless? One that digs deep into your soul and leaves you with a feeling of both pain and catharsis? That's the kind of poem Anne Sexton's "The Fury Of Hating Eyes" is. It's a masterpiece of poetic expression that explores the complicated relationship between a mother and daughter, and the emotions that come with it.

Background and Context

Anne Sexton, born in 1928 in Massachusetts, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet known for her raw, confessional style of writing. She suffered from mental illness throughout her life and used her poetry as a form of therapy. "The Fury Of Hating Eyes" was first published in 1962 in her second collection of poems, "All My Pretty Ones".

The poem is written from the perspective of a daughter who is struggling to come to terms with her relationship with her mother. It touches on themes of love, hate, anger, guilt, and the complexities of parent-child relationships. Sexton's use of imagery and language is powerful and evocative, making the poem both beautiful and unsettling.

Analysis

The poem begins with the daughter describing her mother's eyes as "two hot wires", emphasizing the intensity and anger in her gaze. The daughter feels trapped and suffocated by her mother's presence, describing her as a "tiger" who "pads through the house". The use of animal imagery emphasizes the daughter's fear and the predatory nature of their relationship.

Sexton's use of vivid imagery throughout the poem is particularly striking. She describes the mother's hair as "a field of dark wheat" and her voice as "a steel needle". These descriptions create a strong visual and visceral image in the reader's mind, making the poem feel almost like a film or a painting.

The daughter's feelings of anger and hate towards her mother are also explored in depth. She describes her as "a killer whale" who "opens her jaws of white knives", emphasizing the mother's power and control in the relationship. Yet, at the same time, the daughter feels guilty for her feelings, describing them as a "treason" and a "sickness". This conflict between love and hate is a common theme in Sexton's work, and it is particularly poignant in this poem.

One of the most powerful moments in the poem comes towards the end, when the daughter describes a dream she had where her mother is drowning in the ocean. The daughter is unable to save her and watches as she sinks deeper and deeper into the water. The use of water imagery throughout the poem - the "hot wires" of the mother's eyes, the "field of wheat" hair, the "jaws of white knives" - all come together in this dream sequence to create a powerful and haunting image.

Interpretation

So what is the poem trying to say? At its core, "The Fury Of Hating Eyes" is a poem about the complexity of parent-child relationships. It explores the idea that even though we may love our parents, we can also feel anger, resentment, and even hatred towards them. These feelings can be difficult to reconcile, and can lead to a sense of guilt and shame.

Furthermore, the poem also speaks to the idea that our parents can have an immense power over us, even as adults. The daughter in the poem feels trapped and suffocated by her mother's presence, despite the fact that she is an adult with her own life. This is a feeling that many people can relate to - the sense that no matter how old we get, our parents will always have a hold over us.

Finally, the poem also touches on the idea of forgiveness. The daughter feels guilty for her feelings towards her mother, and in her dream, she is unable to save her from drowning. This can be interpreted as a reflection of her desire to reconcile with her mother and to find a way to move past their complicated relationship.

Conclusion

In conclusion, "The Fury Of Hating Eyes" is a powerful and evocative poem that explores the complexity of parent-child relationships. Anne Sexton's use of imagery and language is stunning, and the poem leaves a lasting impression on the reader. It is a reminder that even though our relationships with our parents can be difficult and complicated, they are also some of the most important relationships we will ever have.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

The Fury of Hating Eyes: A Poetic Masterpiece by Anne Sexton

Anne Sexton was an American poet who is known for her confessional style of writing. Her works often dealt with themes of mental illness, death, and personal struggles. One of her most powerful and haunting poems is "The Fury of Hating Eyes," which was published in her 1966 collection, "Live or Die." In this poem, Sexton explores the destructive power of hatred and the toll it takes on the human psyche.

The poem begins with the speaker describing a pair of eyes that are filled with hatred. These eyes are described as "two black holes" that are "full of fire." The imagery here is striking and powerful, as it creates a sense of danger and foreboding. The eyes are not just angry or upset, they are filled with a burning rage that threatens to consume everything in its path.

As the poem continues, the speaker describes the impact that these eyes have on her. She feels as though she is being suffocated by the hatred that emanates from them. She describes the feeling as being "choked" and "smothered." This is a visceral and intense reaction, one that speaks to the depth of the speaker's fear and anxiety.

The poem then takes a turn, as the speaker begins to explore the source of this hatred. She describes the person who possesses these eyes as being someone who has been hurt deeply. This person has experienced pain and trauma, and as a result, has become consumed by their own anger and bitterness. The speaker describes this person as being "wounded" and "scarred," and it is clear that she feels a sense of empathy for them.

However, this empathy is short-lived, as the speaker quickly realizes that she is also a victim of this person's hatred. She describes herself as being "trapped" and "imprisoned" by the intensity of their anger. This is a powerful statement, as it speaks to the way in which hatred can be all-consuming, not just for the person who possesses it, but for those who are forced to bear witness to it.

The poem then takes another turn, as the speaker begins to explore the impact that this hatred has on the wider world. She describes how it spreads like a virus, infecting everything in its path. She describes it as being "contagious" and "spreading like a rash." This is a powerful metaphor, as it speaks to the way in which hatred can be passed down from generation to generation, infecting entire communities and societies.

The poem ends with a sense of resignation and despair. The speaker acknowledges that there is no easy solution to the problem of hatred. She describes it as being "incurable" and "unstoppable." This is a bleak and pessimistic view, but it is also a realistic one. Hatred is a powerful force, and it is not easily overcome.

In conclusion, "The Fury of Hating Eyes" is a powerful and haunting poem that explores the destructive power of hatred. Through vivid imagery and intense emotion, Anne Sexton creates a sense of danger and foreboding that is impossible to ignore. The poem speaks to the way in which hatred can consume not just the person who possesses it, but also those who are forced to bear witness to it. It is a bleak and pessimistic view of the world, but it is also a realistic one. Hatred is a powerful force, and it is not easily overcome.

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